


Territory

by SophieAyase



Category: Marvel (Comics), Spider-Man (Comicverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Every Woman 2020, Every Woman Exchange, Gen, Stakeout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24992095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieAyase/pseuds/SophieAyase
Summary: New York is Felicia’s city, and she’ll protect it from anyone who crosses her path, even her favorite spider-burglar.
Relationships: Felicia Hardy & Peter Parker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Every Woman 2020





	Territory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VampirePaladin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/gifts).



Like many cats, Felicia Hardy is an expert hunter, and like most cats, her favorite part of the job is playing with her prey.

Unlike most cats, her prey isn’t a bird or a mouse. _Her_ prey is a spider.

Waiting in a darkened museum gallery, she occupies her time wondering what exactly it is the spider’s after. Her investigations have led her to this building, in this wing, on this night, but even she hasn’t yet determined which piece the spider is targeting. She has to concede that he has taste, at least. If she were a thief, she’d go after jewels – not only glittery, but valuable and relatively easy to fence – but the Frick Collection’s art isn’t bad. She’s partial to the impressionists and realists, but the spider seems more like a Dutch Old Masters fan. Then again, she reminds herself, it may not be about his tastes at all. He works for other baddies too, after all, and they’re more likely to use stolen art as a bargaining chip than for any aesthetic reason of their own.

As she considers, she hears a soft grating noise in the next room. She smirks to herself. Sure enough, the Dutch. More sounds come from the room, and her smirk widens. The spider is an expert climber; breaking into a single-floor gallery must have been child’s play for someone used to scaling skyscrapers. But stealth isn’t his strong point, as it is hers.

She uses that to her advantage, silently entering the other room and watching as he begins to dismantle the Vermeer’s frame from the wall. The gadget he’s using must be appropriated from Oscorp, thanks to his little friend there. She sneaks up behind him, waiting until he’s within arm’s reach to whisper.

“Hey, Spider.”

To her delight, he reacts just as she expects, keeping it together enough to avoid dropping the gadget, but visibly startling. She doesn’t have to see through his mask to know he’s rolling his eyes, as much in exasperation at her besting him – again – as in frustration at his little scheme being spoiled. _“Felicia.”_

“Aww, Spider, you didn’t really think I’d let you get away with this, did you?” She teasingly trails a hand over his shoulder. “You know this city’s my territory. I can’t let you make off with one of its cultural treasures. So, who’s it for? Hammerhead, maybe? Or for your own collection? I hope you got some ultraviolet screens for your windows.”

He ignores her words, as usual, and turns to face her. Now she can feel him glaring through the mask. “You couldn’t be a friendly neighborhood Catwoman, _noooo_ ,” he says sarcastically. “You just had to be a territorial Black Cat.”

“If you want one of those, go to Gotham,” she says lightly. “Watch out, though. I hear they have a bat, too.” She drops her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And bats _eat_ spiders.”

He ignores her. “So what are you planning to do now?” he asks. “Turn me in to the police?”

She scoffs. “Why bother trying? I know perfectly well you’ll find a way to slip through my grasp.” She begins circling him. “And you know perfectly well that I’m not what one might call a fan of the police. No,” she purrs, “I think I’ll just let you go.”

Even through the mask, she can see him raise his eyebrows. “Just like that?”

“Of course not ‘just like that.’” She smirks again. “First of all, you’re going to promise me you won’t try a stunt like this again. It’s one thing to steal from some behemoth of capitalism. To take from this fair city’s cultural legacy?” She clicks her tongue. “Unforgivable.”

“And you’d believe me if I promised?” he asks skeptically.

She stops circling and smiles. “No. But I want to hear you say it anyway.”

He sighs. “Fine. I promise.”

“Very good,” she says, with the measured tone of a teacher with a naughty student. “And now you’re going to hand me whatever that is in your hand.” She holds her own hand out for it.

Now he actually chuckles. “Why? I can just get another.”

“Because I want it. It’ll be a nice little souvenir of our meeting tonight. Don’t you want to do that for me, Spider?” she wheedles. “I know you like this little game of ours just as much as I do.”

He pouts for a moment before handing her the device. “Fine. Are you happy now?”

“Delighted. Now, you go back up that skylight and behave yourself till we meet again.” She stands, her free hand on her hip, and waits.

The spider sighs again and walks to the wall near the skylight he removed. “This isn’t over, Cat,” he murmurs as he climbs up to the ceiling.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she replies smoothly.

He begins to crawl out of the skylight he removed. “And replace that window,” she calls after him. “I won’t stand for you harming this building either.”

He doesn’t reply, but does lower the glass back into place. She watches as he springs off the roof, then turns her gaze to the tool in her hand. If she were on the wrong side of the law, she reflects, she’d be awfully tempted to take it to that lovely Degas. Well, perhaps a vigilante isn’t exactly on the right side of the law, she corrects herself, but she’s not a villain, after all.

She recalls the spider’s words as she makes her way to her own exit. _Friendly neighborhood Black Cat. A bit wordy_ , she thinks, _but it does have a nice ring to it..._


End file.
